After the huge ratings for season one it comes as no surprise that Gotham has been officially renewed by Fox in the US for a second season. At the Television Critics Association Winter event on Saturday the 17th of January. Co-Chairman/CEO of Fox, Dana Walden said that they “love the show” and they’ve told the team behind the hit show “keep doing what you’re doing”.

Meanwhile RTE in Ireland have officially confirmed that Season One of Gotham will premiere on RTÉ2 beginning Monday the 26th of January at 9PM. We’re excited that Gotham will reach a much wider audience here in Ireland with the broadcast of Gotham by RTÉ. Remember to check out our podcast reviews after you’ve watched the premiere. You can listen to them all here at http://gothamtvpodcast.com/category/podcast/ Here’s the official RTÉ2 trailer

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The top moments of the first day of New York Comic Con October 9th 2014.

WB Preview Night Screenings

This panel closed out the opening Preview day of NYCC 2014. While it was billed as the preview of the fully completed pilot episode for Constantine and a preview of the Season 2 premiere of The 100, there was actually a lot more on show with an exclusive first look for the crowd at the second episode of the new CW hit The Flash; that really builds on all the threads left open from the pilot episode which was broadcast in the US this week. The episode had a great premise and deepened the relationship between Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) and his surrogate father Detective Joe West (Jesse L. Martin). Another surprise was a preview of crazy upcoming cartoon show Mike Tyson Mysteries. It felt like a fusion of Scooby Doo and Archer and worked very well on the unsuspecting crowd. The newly retooled official pilot for Constatine is excellent, Welsh actor Matt Ryan carries off the swagger of the scouse demon hunter John Constantine excellently, your eyes and ears are drawn to him in every scene that he’s in making it difficult for some of the other characters to get much of a look in. A scene where the helmet of Doctor Fate is introduced got a huge cheer from an audience who had been at the convention for almost twelve hours. I think Warner Brothers have a hit on their hands. Constantine will debut in the US on the 24th of October on NBC, hopefully a UK and Ireland broadcaster will be announced soon.

Adam West talks “Gotham” and Batman Blu Ray release

In the main hall at 6.45 we were treated to almost an hour in the presence of Adam West who played Bruce Wayne/Batman in the 1960’s series due for release for the first time on Blu Ray in November 2014. Mr. West was a fascinating guest and shared many fun anecdotes of the process of making the show, yes of course they knew it was a joke for adults and apointment TV for kids. He spoke of the various guest stars from Vincent Price to Burgess Meridith and also gave some impressions including a fantastic Liberacé. Adam West also talked about his opinion of the TV show Gotham saying he’s delighted that Fox are taking a new look at the Batman mythology and giving his seal of approval to the shows fresh approach. A really fun panel where we also got to see multiple clips from the newly restored Blu Ray box set which includes and preserves all original 120 episodes of the TV series and contains 3 hours of extra features. We know what’s going on our Christmas list.

Artist Alley and Exhibitors

The preview day of Comic Con is also the day that most collectors are waiting all year for. Almost every exhibitor on the show floor brings along exclusive items for the earliest through the door. From Alliance Cruisers to one off Sketch variants of comics there are tonnes of exclusives available for purchase at extraordinary prices. Given the queues most attendees choose exactly what they are looking for before they arrive and go for that one thing but we saw more than a few NYCC guests layden down with more than they could carry. Alternatively Artists Alley is a great place to visit some of the creators behind all of your favourite characters. DC Comics feature a list of their hottest talent including Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. Many other artists from independant comics to the majors are all over the area willing to give you a few minutes of chat and a signature. We even got a one of a kind drawing from 30 days of Night, Welcome to Hoxford and upcoming “Gotham By Midnight” artist Ben Templesmith. A visit to the artists area will give you that one of a kind experience that only an event like this can produce.

Things we missed

You can’t be everywhere, the one panel we would have loved to have been at was the Disney “Big Hero 6” and “Tomorrowland” panel. Not that we are hugely excited about those particular movies but with panel members such as Damon LIdeloff and Hugh Laurie we were sorry to have to skip it. But even bigger than that was a special appearance from George Clooney who dropped in unannounced to the Tomorrowland panel to discuss his role in the show. He also got the whole room on side when he appologised for killing the Batman franchise with his starring role in the movie Batman & Robin. Don’t worry George we know it was the twelve year old who wrote the movie who was at fault.

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New York Comic Con 2014 (NYCC) is the second largest of the US comic conventions. The event takes place at The Javits Center in Hell’s Kitchen New York from 9th to 12th October. The majority of the event is more focused on comics than it’s West Coast counterpart in San Diego and with increasing TV and movie elements NYCC has getting bigger and more popular each year whilst retaining its focus on comics and the comic industry. This years event being the most popular to date as four-day tickets sold out in 40 minutes..The Senior Vice President of event organisers ReedPop Lance Fensterman sent an open letter to fans explaining how big the event is getting with the example that in 2013 four day tickets for the event took 8 weeks to sell out. It’s a really exciting event with a big line up of Comic, animation and TV panels.

Gotham TV Podcast will be in New York from 5th to 14th October and we’ll be covering as many of the events as we possibly can. The big event for us of course is the Gotham panel on Sunday 12th October. Currently scheduled as a Special Video Presentation and Q&A with many of the cast attending this home town event at 1.15 pm EST in the main hall. Confirmed for the event are Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue, Robin Lord Taylor, Erin Richards,Sean Pertwee and Danny Cannon. There will be a special video presentation as Gotham has already completed filming the first half of Season 1, we’re hopeful that there will be lots of exclusive footage. We’ll be queueing to get all the news directly from the event about our favourite new show. We might even get to meet a few special guests while we’re there.

DC and Warner Brothers are also well represented at the event with a panel, Q & A and screening of the pilot for the dark new DC show Constantine. We’re almost as excited for Constantine as we for Gotham and look forward to seeing cast members Matt Ryan (John Constantine) and Angélica Celaya (Zed) along with Executive Producer David S. Goyer taking the stage on Saturday 11th October.

Steven Amell (Oliver Queen on Arrow) will be appearing at the event for all four days, while there is no Arrow or Flash panel scheduled the premiere for both shows will be presented..

There are also many notable DC Comics events and guests over the four day event. The many Batman related comic events range from current Batman dynamic duo, writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo to the artist of the upcoming Gotham by Midnight regular comic series, Ben Templesmith. There will also be a number of events to celebrate Batman 75.

The upcoming movie Birdman, featuring former Batman Michael Keaton and former Hulk actor Edward Norton will also be a highlight of the show. The movie about a former superhero movie actor who has fallen on hard times is definitely relevant to our interests.

New York Comic Con has had a huge boost from genre TV with many describing the event as “the Con that Walking Dead built” due to the recurring appearance of cast and crew of the hugely successful show each year since it began. This year is no exception with the Walking Dead once again taking the prime Saturday night at 6pm spot. Most of the major cast including Andrew Lincoln, Danai Gurira, Melissa McBride, Steven Yeun and Norman Reedus are slated to appear. But that’s not the only big comic related TV event happening at NYCC 2014.

Where best for Marvel and Netflix to show off the upcoming TV show Daredevil than in his hometown of Hell’s Kitchen New York at the NYCC in the prime slot leading into the Walking Dead panel on Saturday the 10th of October. This will be the first of four shows that Marvel and Netflix are working together including Luke Cage, Jessica Jones and Iron First. The four more grounded Marvel properties are due to lead into one combined mini-series called The Defenders. We’re very excited to see the cast on stage together for the first time. Given that the show has been filming in New York for the last few months there might even be some footage of the upcoming show screened.

Marvel TV is well represented at the event with a panel for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. taking the prime slot on Friday the 10th of October. They had a smaller panel with Scottish actor Ian DeCastacker (Fitz) and English Actress Elizabeth Henstridge (Simmons) taking the stage along with Jeph Loeb in 2013. It’s hoped that there will be a full cast panel there to discuss the show.

There will be loads of other exciting stuff at the show from Cosplay to exclusive artwork, statues and comics. Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook and Fliker where we’ll share our unique take on the event.

Gotham episode 3 “Balloon-man” airs on Fox on the 6th of October and the pilot is due for its UK TV premiere on Channel 5 on Monday the 13th of October.

A UK broadcaster for the hotly anticipated Constantine has yet to be announced. The show premieres in the US on October 24th.

Arrow will return to Sky One in October with Flash also premiering on Sky One in the same month.

The comic series Gotham By Midnight by Ben Templesmith is due to come out in November 2014

Walking Dead Season 5 will premiere in the US on Sunday the 12th and Ireland and the UK on Fox on Monday the 13th

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Channel 5 have today announced they will broadcast the big autumn TV show Gotham very soon. The show has been received very well in the US on the 22nd of September with very high ratings and generally well received reviews. Channel 5 will show the pilot episode of the show on Monday the 13th of October 2014 at 9PM and we’ll be watching every episode.

Gotham tells the story of young Detective James Gordon (Ben McKenzie, The O.C., Southland, Batman: Year One) a former resident of Gotham City who returns after more than 10 years away to join the Homicide Unit of the Gotham City Police Department. His partner in the G.C.P.D. is street savvy Detective Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue, Vikings, Law & Order: S.V.U., Sons of Anarchy) a detective with connections to underworld characters including Nightclub owner Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett-Smith, The Matrix Revolutions, Scream 2, Collateral), a character newly created for the show. In Fish’s employ are Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord-Taylor in a break out performance) a well-known character from the comics who will eventually become crime boss The Penguin and her right hand man Butch Gilzean (played by Drew Powell who previously worked with Ben McKenzie on Southland).

Other members of Gotham City Law enforcement include Detectives Renee Montoya (Victoria Cartagena) and Crispus Allen (British actor Andrew Stewart-Jones) who we at Gotham TV podcast had the pleasure of interviewing recently you can listen to the interview in the player below. As members of the Major Crimes Unit they have a distrustful relationship with anyone outside of their tight knit partnership including Detective Allen’s former partner Harvey Bullock. Captain Sarah Essen (Zabryna Guevara) heads up the Gotham City Police Department providing guidance for the team. The detectives work closely with the intelligent yet inscrutable Edward Nygma (Cory Michael Smith) another character well-known to comic book and Batman fans as the future Riddler.

With the help of his fiance Barbara Kean (Welsh actor Erin Richards), Jim Gordon will try to navigate the dangerous mob run streets of Gotham to investigate the murder of 12-year-old Bruce Wayne’s (David Mazouz, Touch) aristocratic parents Dr. Thomas and Martha Wayne.

Left in the care of his butler, former soldier in the British SAS Alfred Pennyworth (British Actor Sean Pertwee, Dog Soldiers, Event Horizon) the young Bruce Wayne will find it difficult to grow up without guidance.

The city of Gotham and it’s characters from young Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova), mob boss Carmine Falcone (John Doman, The Wire) to his rival Salvatore Maroni (David Zayas, Dexter) will make a great backdrop to what we expect to be a fascinating look at the time in Gotham before the Batman and what led a young man with a score to settle to don a cape and cowl to patrol the streets of this lost city.

Join us after the premiere of Gotham on Channel 5 on the 13th of October for our review of the episode. If you want to listen to our podcasts that have been leading up to the release of the show so far and give background information on the major players from comic book appearances to events with the cast you can listen here or subscribe in iTunes. You can send us your thoughts on the episodes at feedback@gothamtvpodcast.com

We’re getting very excited to see what Gotham has to offer we’ll be attending the Gotham panel at New York Comic Con on the 12th of October 2014 for some final news before the season starts in the UK and Ireland on Channel 5.

Derek & John

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EXCLUSIVE: There are many fascinating pairings set for Gotham, from Jim Gordon and Harvey Bullock to Fish Mooney and Oswald Cobblepot, and Gotham TV Podcast got the opportunity to interrogate the Detective partnership of Renee Montoya (Victoria Cartagena) and Crispus Allen (Andrew Stewart-Jones) about the TV show, their characters, the role of the Montoya / Allen partnership and the influence of the comic series Gotham Central on the show. We get to hear that their off-screen friendship is as strong as their on-screen partnership, we find out Victoria Cartagena’s favourite arc of the comic series Gotham Central and we uncover some details about Detective Allen’s past.

In the build up to the release of the Gotham premiere on Fox in the USA (22nd September) and Channel 5 in the UK, our look at the comic series Gotham Central shows the importance of this detective partnership to the Major Crimes Unit (M.C.U.) of the Gotham City Police Department and we can’t wait to see this great Detective alliance brought to the screen. You can read the interview below but there’s nothing better than hearing them in person. Check out the full interview where they answer all of our questions.

Gotham TV Podcast: What drew you to audition for a role in the upcoming batman prequel series Gotham? Did you have much exposure to previous incarnations of this universe such as the movies, comics or TV shows?

Victoria Cartagena (Renee Montoya): When I got the call for the audition there was no script there were only dummy sides [scenes unconnected to the TV show Gotham], however, I was aware that it had something to do with Batman’s Gotham and, because I’d been a fan all my life, I certainly wanted a chance to be part of the show. Because i grew up watching the Batman re-runs with Adam West and seeing all the Batman films from the 80s, 90s all the way up to the Nolan films, I’ve seen them all in the theatre so I was definitely familiar and excited to even audition for it.

Andrew Stewart-Jones (Crispus Allen): Honestly, the audition was one of a bunch on Valentine’s Day this year. I was just trying to get through the day. At the time, I had no idea what I might be getting involved in. Also the role was a possible recurring so although that is wonderful, I was already auditioning for series regulars roles so this wasn’t high on the list. I should add that the folks behind Gotham were very secretive. I had no idea exactly what I was reading for.

GTVP: You’ve been cast in the roles of Renee Montoya and Crispus Allen, detectives in the Gotham City Police Department (G.C.P.D.). What qualities of the character of Montoya and Allen drew you to their characters?

Cartagena: I love that she’s passionate and fiercely loyal and I’m really drawn to what a bad-ass she is. Cause she certainly has a swagger, that I don’t, so that’s fun to play. She works with some really tough guys but she can hang with the best of them. And as an actor I appreciate that she’s flawed. She’s strong and intelligent but at the same time she’s quick to anger and it sometimes clouds her judgment. So she’s tough but vulnerable too and that’s always interesting to play.

Stewart-Jones: Without a doubt, his moral compass would always be his outstanding quality. In a world so dark and corrupt, Allen has his eye on the right way to do things. I love that.

GTVP: This is the first screen outing for Renee Montoya. She is known in the comics to have a complex and interesting back story in both her professional and private life. Will we see any of these complexities play out in the TV series?

Cartagena: So I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future but in the episodes we have shot you will DEFINITELY get a glimpse into the complex relationships, for sure (laughs).

GTVP: This is also the first screen outing for Allen. He is known in the comics to be fiercely loyal to his friends but doesn’t suffer fools lightly. Will we see any of these strong character traits play out in the TV series?

Stewart-Jones: Rob Brown played a G.C.P.D. officer by the name of Allen in The Dark Knight Rises. Just FYI. But yes, this is Crispus Allen’s big debut as such. You’ve basically described me, Andrew, to a tee… so yes.

GTVP to Victoria Cartagena: Another important person in Renee’s life is Detective Crispus Allen, your partner in the G.C.P.D. Given they have such a close relationship how has it been creating and developing that bond with Andrew Stewart Jones?

Cartagena: I absolutely could not have asked for a better screen partner. From the first day we walked on to set we had this immediate connection and he’s become a really great friend and I think that our bond keeps strengthening the more that we work together and its certainly transferred onto the screen. He’s just an amazing actor, a very generous actor and a lot of fun to be around. So I’m really just grateful to be able to be his partner.

GTVP to Andrew Stweart-Jones: Detective Allen is very protective of Renee Montoya, his partner in the G.C.P.D., and is known in the comics to have her back in many tough situations both in the field and in the office. Are you enjoying creating this partnership with Victoria Cartagena as Renee Montoya?

Stewart-Jones: Working with Victoria is an absolute honor and a treat. She is incredible. Very giving, funny and gullible. So susceptible to all of my shenanigans – which I LOVE! The on-screen relationship, I believe, will benefit from the instant connection we had as professionals.

GTVP to Victoria Cartagena: We’ve been covering the comic series Gotham Central in the lead up to the show and have particularly been enjoying the interplay between your character and Crispus Allen. We know that you’ve been reading the series too. Are there any standout moments that you read and would like to see transferred to the TV series?

Cartagena: I really love the story arc for Renee in Half a Life [issues 5 – 9] she went through a lot of highs and lows. So I really hope it makes it onto the show because what stood out to me was how strong the bond is between Montoya and Allen. During those really tough times (Crispus) Allen was the only one that really went to bat for her and he had her back without question. You could just see how fiercely loyal they are to one another. So they’re more than partners, they’re friends or…more like family actually. I hope that the audience get to see that bond and it was important for me to read that on paper to make sure we were getting the job done.

GTVP to Andrew Steward-Jones: We’ve been covering the comic series Gotham Central in the lead up to the show and have particularly been enjoying the interplay between your character and Renee Montoya. We know a number of the cast have been given Gotham Central to prepare for their roles. Were you given any reading material to guide your preparation of your character and to what extent do you balance this with the bringing new ideas to the role?

Stewart-Jones: I wasn’t asked to read anything but I’m a bit of a comic nut. I didn’t want to just lift the character off the comic book pages and present him on people’s screens. I wanted him to be human. Accessible. But, at the same time, I am committed to always having the comic as the foundation upon which I build.

GTVP to Victoria Cartagena: Gotham has many different characters on the path to greater destinies, Jim Gordon eventually becomes the Commissioner of the G.C.P.D., the young Bruce Wayne will in adulthood become the Batman and Oswald Cobblepot is taking his first steps on the road to leading the criminal underworld, which of these narratives most excites you?

Cartagena: I’ve had the privilege to do at least one scene with all of these actors so I’m just looking forward to what each one of them brings to the story because they are so talented and they bring their own unique and original take on the portrayal so it’s just going to be thrilling to watch. (My answer is) all of them.

GTVP to Andrew Stewart-Jones: Gotham has some other interesting characters on the payroll of the G.C.P.D., there is the mystery of Edward Nygma, the intensity of Jim Gordon’s moral code, the political aspirations of Captain Sarah Essen and the old school style of Harvey Bullock. How does this mix of characters affect the dynamic in the G.C.P.D. and which of these characters interest you the most?

Stewart-Jones: The beauty, mystery and sheer fun of Gotham is the mufti-faceted dynamics of the relationships. It’s never ending. Always escalating. It’s fascinating to witness. I was Harvey’s partner before Gordon and so there is tension. A wound or two. Deep history. I’m closest to him. I won’t say if that’s good or bad.

GTVP: The fan reaction is building for this show in a big way, are you excited for the New York premiere of Gotham in September where you and your fellow cast members get to experience the fan reaction to the pilot first hand?

Victoria: For sure, I’m definitely excited. We’ve been working on this for months, it feels like a really long time and we really can’t wait to share it with the public and I really hope to hear back from the fans and I hope they enjoy it and I think that they will. So, Yes, can’t come soon enough. Just a few more weeks.

Stewart-Jones: When the word for my level of excitement is invented, I will happily use it ad nauseam. Until then we can use the longest word from Mary Poppins. It’s PGA rated, which helps.

GTVP: Finally, if Gotham TV Podcast were to be questioned in the suspect interview room at the G.C.P.D., which of the Montoya-Allen partnership would play the “Good Cop” and who would play the “Bad Cop”?

Victoria: This is my favourite question. So…you guys are so great that I think that there would be no need either of us to play the bad cop. But, on the off chance that one of you broke the law or you just had something that we need like some information then I’m pretty sure that Montoya would be the one to ride you until you spill the beans because she is a dog with a bone that one.Yeah I’d put my money on Montoya.

Stewart-Jones: If you ever end up being questioned by us, that information will not help you in the slightest and you will be wishing and praying to wake up from your bad dream! Gotham TV Podcast… do not cross Allen and Montoya! Oh, and thank you for this. I’ll be listening in. Enjoy the premiere.

Derek O’Neill and John Harrison are hosts of the Gotham TV Podcast, the unofficial podcast about the TV show Gotham and the connected DC universe. A very special thank you for this interview to Amy at Channel 5 and Holly, Marc and Steven at Warner Bros for their help and most importantly we want to thank Victoria Cartagena and Andrew Stewart-Jones for their time.

To celebrate the launch of Gotham iTunes now allow you to subscribe to the full season of Gotham on their US and Canadian service. For US€29.99 or CAN€49.99 you get the full season of 16 episodes and a special exclusive behind the scenes video. In addition, iTunes have put up a complete 21 minute preview of the show called “The Legend Reborn”. This preview is split into four parts and has been released on YouTube. Watch all four parts of “The Legend Reborn” below:

Part 1 – Mythical Beginnings

In this part we hear of the genesis of the idea of Gotham from Bruno Heller, Danny Cannon, Geoff Johns and members of the cast. We see more of the interplay between young Detective James Gordon (Ben McKenzie) and his Gotham guide, partner Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue). We also get to see more information about the villains of the show such as Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor) and Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett-Smith) and a sneak peak of four new Characters to Gotham.

Part 2 – A City on the Edge

This second part gives us our first introduction to two members of the Major Crimes Unit of Gotham City Police Department, Renee Montoya (Victoria Cartegena) and Crispus Allen (Andrew Stewart-Jones). It also introduces us to the wider cast of the show such as Jim Gordon’s partner Barbara Kean (Welsh actress Erin Richards) and some of her background and connections in the city.

Part 3 – Behind the Shadows

This part of the documentary gives us some details of how the city of New York plays it’s part in the creation of Gotham. We get our first look at the primary set for the show, the Gotham City Police Department precinct office. This epic set is two stories tall and took over ten weeks to build. We also see some of the visual effects and special effects that will be used in the first few episodes of Gotham

Part 4 – Heroes and Villains

The final part of the documentary includes some of the footage that we have seen in the past providing some more detail on the characters and how the show will see the development of the two sides of the battle for Gotham before the existence of the Dark Knight.

Check the videos out and then come back and listen to episode 14 of our podcast where we discuss some of the information releases in these videos.

Derek & John

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A new Trailer for Gotham was released along with a fan competition on Fox.com. The competition gives the option to create a new poster for the upcoming TV show Gotham or to recreate a scene from the new trailer below to win a trip to New York to watch the official premiere of Gotham.

The new trailer includes footage that looks like it’s taken from later in the season including our first mention of Arkham Asylum, Bruce Wayne’s assertion that he’s just testing himself with a burning candle to his hand and Robin Lord Taylor being picked up by two frat boys who tell him he looks like a certain aquatic flightless bird. Take a look at the trailer below and if you are in the United States enter the contest here or the video contest on the facebook page here

Also at an interview with IGN.com Ben McKenzie confirmed the appearance of the previously unannounced Gotham kingpin Sal Maroni. Previously played by Eric Roberts as the pretender to the throne left behind by Carmine Falconé this time they’ll both exist in Gotham together. We’re excited.

We’ll be talking all about the new trailer, competitions and the panel in our podcast tomorrow.

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As the internet exploded all around the Warner Bros. Pictures panel delivered. To introduce their panel a short and sweet (the film is 2-years away) Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice tease on a number of fronts was given to Hall H at SDCC 2014. As Zack Snyder walked on to stage he revealed concept artwork for the movie and a short piece of footage depicting Batman as he reveals the Bat Signal. The footage also reveals an angry looking Superman looking on as he flies overhead his eyes begin to glow red with heat vision…ready for a Batman Superman showdown. Snyder was then joined by the reunited team of Batman (Ben Affleck), Superman (Henry Cavill) and for the first time Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) to huge excitement and much applause. What a way to kick off a panel. Check out the Silver Lasso on her left hip.

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San Diego Comic-Con begins with Batman…LEGO Batman to be precise and amongst other LEGO announcements was the brand new trailer for TT Games latest LEGO inspired game – LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham. IGN revealed the all-new LEGO Batman 3 Comic-Con trailer and it certainly has a lot of new footage. Are Superman and Wonder Woman on a date? We certainly enjoyed the crispy duck moment from the trailer and of course LEGO Batman’s continuing tongue-in-cheek jealousy of Superman and his powers.You can check it out below.

LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham will be available this Autumn on PS4, XBox One and all other major consoles and handhelds this Autumn. This should be great fun for all fans of LEGO, Batman and for all the family.

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In preparation for San Diego Comic Con 2014 (SDCC 2014) Gotham seems to be making a mark in the city as it ramps up to the start next Wednesday (23rd July) when a preview night will kick-off four days (24th – 27th July) of all things comic related. Not only are the San Diego trolleys receiving a Gotham style makeover (Pictured Below), but there is also a Gotham-themed 130-foot zipline between the Convention Center and the Hilton Bayfront Hotel and Gotham City Police cars will cruise around town for Uber users and of course stake-out SDCC for the Penguin and Fish Mooney.

SDCC 2014 is the “big-one” of the comic conventions and it puts on a show (both inside and outside the convention center) for all those who are interested in comics from the big headline film and TV events through to guest appearances, comic artists and writers and there is of course the amazing cosplay and fun fringe events and socialising. We of course will bring you as much of the Gotham, Batman and DC news and stories as we can from SDCC 2014 next week, so for all the latest from SDCC 2014 watch this space and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google+. We will also be helping out our friends over at TheEffect.Net with all the other SDCC 2014 news and stories.

The schedule for SDCC 2014 has already been released and is packed with panels, talks, competitions, appearances, events and screenings. Amongst these are the TV, film and comic panels taking place over the four days that will include celebrating 25 years of the Simpson with co-creator Matt Groening, an exploration of Hannibal (the Menu will include David Slade – Executive Producer), the new Star Wars animation, Rebels, and a look at Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season two and the new mid-season series Marvel’s Agent Carter. With this in mind we thought we would share our six big TV, film and comic events related to Gotham Batman and other DC properties scheduled for SDCC 2014.

From 8pm on Saturday 26 July Warner Bros. TV with DC Entertainment will host a three hour extravaganza in Hall H to be hosted by Stephen Amell of the hit TV show Arrow. This is the big TV event of SDCC 2014, one that has never been tried before, and is exclusively a superhero themed event for fans of DC and will include loads of exclusives for the upcoming TV shows from Warner Bros and DC. Not only will the event feature appearances from cast and crew from Arrow, it will also showcase footage of the new upcoming TV series’ Gotham, The Flash and Constantine. The world premiere screening of the Gotham TV series pilot, starring Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue, Jada Pinkett Smith and Robin Lord Taylor will be shown at the event. To ramp up the excitement for the event a new teaser trailer has been released focusing on the relationship between Jim Gordon (Ben Mckenzie) and Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) you can watch it here: “One Crime Will Unite Two Partners”.

To wrap things off at the Warner Bros. DC Entertainment event the complete screening of The Flash pilot will be shown along with exclusive footage of episode one of the new Constantine TV series, starring Matt Ryan, and exclusive footage of Arrow season three. We think this is going to be a very special event and panel indeed for Gotham and is certainly set to raise the roof on all the small screen heroes from DC that will be on offer this Autumn.

If you have any questions for the Arrow and The Flash panels you can use #AskArrow and #AskTheFlash for a chance to have them answered at SDCC 2014. Simply tweet the Arrow and The Flash CW Twitter accounts with your questions for Stephen Amell and Grant Gustin.

If you’re looking forward to Constantine, then earlier in the day at 5.15pm there will be the full pilot screening and Q&A session that will include stars from the show Matt Ryan and Harold Perrineau as well as executive producers and creators of the show Daniel Cerone (Dexter) and David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight trilogy). For all you fans of Constantine then at 4pm on 26th July head over to the Constantine Dome in Gaslamp Square, come in your finest cosplay for a “Constantine Meet Up” and commemorate the day with a group photo with the man himself, Constantine (Matt Ryan). This sounds a sweet little event just before the screening and Q&A session.

The Warner Bros. Pictures panel is also scheduled for Saturday 26th July at 10am in Hall H and they are bringing three upcoming films to SDCC 2014, including Mad Max: Fury Road and Jupiter Ascending, and Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies. Whilst there is no indication of any sneak peaks of footage from the 2016 Batman v Superman film or that the cast will attend, it is likely that the Batmobile will make an appearance. DC is also planning to announce their future DC movie road map, with the tease that the Justice League cast will make an appearance.

2.Spotlight on Bill Finger, the Co-Creator of Batman – Thursday 24th July

The issue of who, when and why in the creation process of comics that meshes both writing, artwork as well as colouring and stenciling has provided some of the more controversial discussion topics around comics and graphic novels. None more so than the Batman’s uncredited co-creator – Bill Finger. Not only did Bill Finger breathe life into Batman, Robin, Gotham City, and one fantastic villain after another, he co-created bat-free icons such as Green Lantern. With 2014 being the 75th Anniversary of the Batman and the 100th anniversary since the birth of Bill Finger it is fitting that such a distinguished and high-level panel comes together at SDCC 2014 to discuss his huge influence and contribution to the DC universe. On the panel, moderated by Dr. Travis Langley (Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight), will be amongst others Bill Finger’s only living descendants Athena Finger (The Cape Creator: A Tribute to Bill Finger) and her son Benjamin, plus Bob Kane’s biographer Tom Andrae (Batman and Me), writer Mark Evanier (Bill Finger Awards) and Michael Uslan (Batman, The Dark Knight film trilogy). What is great to see is that the very special reprinting of Detective Comics #27 by DC also includes new material and the first-ever cover credit to the co-creator Bill Finger.

3. Batman ’66 Panel – Thursday 24th July

Biff! Bam! Pow! …This panel should be a great trip down memory lane for a good number of people, bask in its sense of kitsch and let in your excitable inner child. With moderator Ralph Garman in Hall H Warner Bros. reunites pop icons Adam West, Burt Ward, and Julie Newmar for a Bat-tastic look at Batman: The Complete TV Series. The actors behind Batman, Robin and Catwoman talk about their roles in the landmark series and provide an insight in to all the exclusive content within the forthcoming blockbuster home entertainment release of the much-loved TV series. The panel will also exhibit some of the holy dazzling HD remastered Batman footage of the series prior to its release in November 2014. Remember fans to bring your shades it’s gonna be bright and colourful.

4. iZombie Pilot Screening – Friday 25th July

From 11.30am on Friday we will get a glimpse of CW’s mid-season series iZombie as it debuts at SDCC 2014 (unfortunately iZombie will not be included in the Saturday WB/DC TV event). We can’t wait to get some more details of this show and hear the reaction to the pilot screening of iZombie. Olivia “Liv” Moore is a 25-year-old medical resident with high hopes of a long and successful life…until she’s turned into a zombie. Now not only is she stuck between half-alive and undead, but she is stuck in the morgue as the only way to satisfy her lust for brains. Liv’s new diet allows her to experience “visions”-flashes of the corpse’s memories-including, in some cases, clues as to how they were killed. The special video presentation will be followed by a Q&A with series stars Rose McIver (Once Upon a Time) and Malcolm Goodwin (Breakout Kings), as well as executive producers Rob Thomas and Diane Ruggiero-Wright (both of Veronica Mars).

5. DC Comics Batman- Friday 25th July

The DC comic Batman panel brings together some of the most creative writers, artists of the medium. With storylines that are deep, complex, sometime vicious and brutal but always compelling and with artwork that lifts from the page to feed your imagination the Bat-family of comics couldn’t be in better hands during Batman’s 75th anniversary. This panel will provide an exclusive look and insight at what is to come for the Batman and his allies from the amazing talent behind those comic pages that we’re enjoying so much. The panel includes Marc Andreyko (Batwoman), Brian Buccellato (Detective Comics), Greg Capullo (Batman), Pat Gleason (Batman and Robin), Greg Pak (Batman/Superman, Doctor Strange:Season One), Scott Snyder (Batman, Batman Eternal), Peter Tomasi (Batman and Robin) and others. Enjoy this panel it should be epic!

6. DC Collectibles – Thursday 24th July

For all those kleptomaniacs out there (such as ourselves) rejoice as DC Collectibles showcase the action figures, busts, statues and much more for all the fans of DC. The panel, which includes amongst others Kevin Kiniry (DVP for Creative Services), artist Greg Capullo (Batman) and sculptor Jon Matthews, will let you in to the creative process of making these figures and statues and they will give some insight about what is coming up from the DC Collectibles range. Get your wallets ready and prepare to spend as DC Collectibles offer loads of Comic-Con Exclusives to be sold at Diamond retailer booths during the convention.

We are looking forward to all the events next week at SDCC 2014 from the big to the small and whilst Warner Bros. Pictures DC cinematic events are limited this year at SDCC 2014, DC will be more than catered for by the Warner Bros TV event with a look at the exciting new Autumn DC releases on the small screen. But, in the best tradition of SDCC, we hope there will also be plenty of big surprises and unexpected guests to come at San Diego Comic Con 2014 next week. We hope you’ll join us.

John and Derek

Gotham TV Podcast

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Great casting news for Gotham as Carol Kane is cast as Gertrud Kapelput, the mother of Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor), in a recurring role for the upcoming Gotham TV series. The Oscar nominated actress, for Hester Street (1975), will make her debut in episode two of Gotham this Autumn and is currently filming her role in New York with other members of the cast.

The character, Gertrud Kapelput, is described as being “proud” with a “faded beauty” and holding “delusions of grandeur.” This interesting addition to the cast of Gotham should provide some fascinating context and interactions to the back story of her son, Oswald Cobblepot (aka The Penguin). Certainly, we’re excited to see what Carol Kane does in this role. Not only has she performed alongside another Oswald Cobblepot (Danny Devito) in the TV series Taxi; but she has been in some great films including perennial Christmas favourite Scrooged with Bill Murray and one of our favourites, The Princess Bride, where she played Valerie and wife to Billy Crystal’s Miracle Max.

Another cast member was also announced in quick succession with Kyle Massey being hired in a recurring role. Kyle Massey may be known to younger audiences for his Disney Channel credits in “That’s So Raven” and “Cory in the House”. Massey will play a neglected kid called Macky who lives on the streets of Gotham. This description makes us think that he could be involved with the orphaned street cat Selina Kyle. It’s interesting that Massey was a runner up in the reality US dancing show “Dancing with the Stars”, which adds another dancer to the cast of Gotham alongside Camren Bicondova.

What do you think about these two new casting announcements and the characters that they will play? Could there be a dance off in the future of Gotham? Let us know your thoughts on this casting.

John & Derek

Gotham TV Podcast

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Gotham will premiere this Fall on Monday 22nd September in the USA and we are understandably excited. Episode one of Gotham will air at 8pm on the Fox Network just before the return of Sleepy Hollow. We have nothing more to add other than, in the tradition of Dr Strangelove, we can’t wait for the countdown to zero.

Derek and John

Gotham TV Podcast

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Since the start of May fans of the upcoming TV series Gotham have, in addition to interviews with the cast and characters, been treated to a host of video releases, including trailers and clips that are beginning to tease out the tone, direction and characters of the show scheduled for this Autumn.

The release of the official extended trailer for Gotham started it all off in early May and started a buzz about the show with fans enjoying and scrutinising the trailers, including ourselves with our “Gotham First Full Trailer Breakdown” episode of Gotham TV Podcast. This was soon followed by a “First Look” from the official Gotham website and trailers from other TV networks as screenings of the pilot episode of Gotham began to gather more excitement and generate momentum around the show. We then got to see a short but tantalising villains snap-shot from Fox Networks which was awesome and got ourselves even more excited about the show and now we’ve seen the companion video to Villains entitled Heroes, there’s no new footage present but seeing Jim and the young Bruce Wayne together as the city closes around them is worth watching.

Whilst most of the footage is from the pilot episode, there are some great shots of the City of Gotham and some iconic glimpses laid bare in the current releases for the Gotham TV show. We are certainly expecting new footage from the series soon, as the big comic cons are on the horizon and filming for the show is continuing apace in New York (aka Gotham). So, Gothamites, we have pulled together the current trailers, clips, snap-shots and other videos below and on our new YouTube Channel for you all to enjoy. We will of course add to this as more trailers and clips are released.

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The anticipation surrounding Fox’s upcoming 16-episode series Gotham is seriously on the up and the excitement is certainly building for the TV series.

Over April and May this year a rake of different promotional events have taken place from release of the Gotham pilot trailer to the TV Upfronts for Fox and the Canadian broadcaster CTV. Only a couple of weeks in to June and pilot screenings have begun to take place in New York and L.A. for international buyers who have had some great initial impressions and high hopes for the show.

There have also been some insightful and thoughtful interviews with a number of the cast. Below we’ve pulled together some of the interviews with members of the Gotham cast and creators for you, Gothamites, to check out.

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In Constantine TV news a second trailer has been released this week, check it out below. Whilst much of the footage is from the first official trailer there are a few additional little snippets to whet the appetite and increase the excitement for this series. We do learn that you should never go demon hunting on an empty stomach! But more notable is the glimpse and tease of the helmet of Nabu.

The helmet of Nabu is a powerful mystical talisman (along with the amulet and mantle of Nabu) bequeathed to Kent Nelson, who later becomes the great DC comics sorcerer Doctor Fate. Alternatively, the helmet, along with the other talismans, could be entrusted to Hector Hall, Inza Cramer Nelson or Jared Stevens who have also gone on to become Doctor Fate throughout the character’s history.

This is also not the first time Doctor Fate has appeared on the small screen in a DC TV property. The great sorcerer also showed up as Kent Nelson/Doctor Fate (Brent Stait) as part of the Justice Society of America (JSA) in season nine of Smallville “Absolute Justice” (episode eleven).

The tease of the helmet of Nabu in this second trailer is exciting as it hints at the integration of other characters from the wider DC universe in to the Constantine series. This is a great development for the show as it may suggest some epic mysteries and story arcs. We hope that Doctor Fate will be a season regular to the Constantine series, but Doctor Fate may simply be in a guest star role to drive elements of the story. Or maybe the helmet is simply a plot point or passing reference and all we will see is the helmet of Nabu. In any case this new addition for the TV show has ramped up our interest in the possibilities of the upcoming Constantine series this Autumn.

The presence of Doctor Fate’s helmet in the trailer also got us wondering which other potential DC characters could make an appearance in the Constantine TV series and we came around to Doctor Occult as a possibility. Despite being an old character in the DC canon (his first appearance was in 1935 in New Fun Comics #6) he is part of the “Trenchcoat Brigade” and has worked alongside John Constantine before. We think that this would be a nice little nod to other mystical members of the DC universe in the same way that Doctor Fate would be. Let us know your thoughts on any DC characters you would like to see in the Constantine TV series.

Finally, given the developments with the Doctor Strange phase 3 movie project at Marvel, with the appointment of a Director Scott Derrickson; does this tease of Doctor Fate in the Constantine TV series represent a challenge to Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Strange? Or is Doctor Fate simply a good fit with the Constantine TV show and its mystical and occult themes? We would love to hear your thoughts.

Maybe the Constantine and Doctor Strange mash-up that I (John) wanted in Episode 7 of Gotham TV Podcast is no longer required? But I can always console myself with the awesome Ron Marz and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez Doctor StrangeFate from the DC/Marvel cross-over Amalgam Comic series.